Re: [Bann Valley] Re: Downing Family

["Robert Stedall" <robert@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

William Colwell Downing of a respectable family in Philadelphia, was 
anxious to establish his antecedents. He employed a Genealogist, Robert 
Wilberforce, who created a mythical family tree to demonstrate that WC 
was descended from Captain (later Lt. Colonel) Adam Downing of Bellaghy, 
he than embellished the existing records to show that Adam, was a member 
of the Downing baronetcy family, which he is not. It does not help that 
Burke's Extinct Baronetcies makes the same mistake. At the moment we are 
focusing on the Downing family from Bellaghy, who seem to be descendants 
of a John Downing, who fought at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 and 
settled in co. Waterford. He was a kinsman of Sir Richard Wingfield, the 
Queen's Marshall in Ireland, and probably joined Sir Richard to put down 
Doherty's rebellion in Derry in 1608. As a result of this he was granted 
lands, probably near Ballykelly. One of his younger sons, George Downing 
inherited these estates, but ultimately moved to Bellaghy in 1659, when 
the original leases from the Fishmongers expired. He seems to have had  
three sons (at least) including Nicholas of Drumard, who made a will in 
1698, George of Rocktown, the father of Adam and several other sons, and 
William. He also had a daughter, who married a Mullhollen (or 
Mullholland). We know that there are a lot of Downing names in Bellaghy, 
who are not the descendants of Adam, and the issue is to establish any 
relationship, although some may be the descendants of Gaelic families 
who anglicised their name to Downing. We are making progress. We have 
recently found a family tree for Adam's brother Samuel at the College of 
Arms, but we do not believe it is entirely accurate!

We are trawling Irish wills and abstracts at present.

Thank you for your interest.  Robert Stedall


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